One of the recurring themes we write about is that industry cares not for human lives. It tries to keep workers safe (sometimes) but the quality of life of people is nowhere to be found in the financial statement, nor are the CO2 emissions. From examples like DDT and sigarettes we know that it can take enormous suffering before industry responds (and banks primarily) before some cashflow rich activities are halted.
How do we install a system that fixes this, because there really is no need to destroy ourselves in order to live a wealthy life. You could almost say that this is a remnant of evolving in an environment where zero sum was real, you eat the fruit, or someone else does, there is a finite amount of fruit to go around.
Renewable energy is not infinite but certainly MUCH more abundant than fossil energy. And if we eliminate banks who keep money tight because they want us to keep them in business (a worry born out of the same concept of scarcity and greed) we can enjoy free lives (albeit some population management has to happen).
We propose to introduce publicly controlled taxes. Taxes on products and services that will increase the price and thus its competitiveness in the market. This has been done with sigarettes, the tax flowed to the government, which caused a problem because now the government was counting on the money. These taxes had to be fought for because of the bank serving nature of government, you don’t really get ahead if you keep the banking mob happy. It is a real mob, an organization that funds and protects criminal and insane activities because they cause desired cashflow.
Simply make it possible for any product or service to be taxed specifically or by category. Put that money into programs people vote for through the same channel you create for them to impose taxes. Let them propose the programs or plans to invest in. Or create a credit bank based on the taxes with a fixed interest rate of 0%
We have a system in place that allows for direct democracy in our country, Holland, and most countries have digital identities for its citizen, where they can log in and supply info. Let’s use that system. That way not only banks can profit from cashflow, but also citizens. That way any product that sucks that we hate that we feel is hurting us can be taxed, say for instance gasoline or plastic lawn chairs or all kinds of crap.
There does not have to be a lower limit on the tax, if one citizen wants it, then its added. Also make the % relative to the sales of the product. Adding 1 Euro to the cost of a car won’t change much..
Of course this can go wrong with tabloid media lying to the public or spinning every damn fact into something sensational and damaging. So any mention of it in the press has to be banned. This way when a person gets annoyed with a product or service he/she can go to the public tax website and search for it, see if he/she is alone, and if not impose a tax.
This all goes for new products and services. Recycled of second hand services are probably much harder to administrate. But as we need a change in what is being produced anyway (less plastic, more local, more sustainable) this is a good start.